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Pickleball

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It’s one of the fastest growing sports in North America, it’s called Pickleball but don’t be fooled by its light-hearted name, this game is a tough workout.

Pickleball is especially popular among seniors because it offers a high intensity workout that doesn’t discriminate against aging joints.

It may be newly popular but it’s far from new. It was invented in Washington in 1965 as a mix of tennis, table tennis and badminton. Players use oversized paddles to rally a whiffle ball across a shortened court.

Many traditions, like bumping raquets after a win and yelling “pickle” before serving a match point have stood the test of time. Many believe that the name of the game came from the inventor’s dog, Pickles, others believe it’s a reference to the rowing term “pickle boat”.

The City of Burlington now offers 6 sessions a week, compared to the one they started with.

If you’re interested in learning the game, here are some places to try it out.

http://cms.burlington.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=23941

http://www.ymcaofniagara.org/welland_pelham-program_schedules.php

http://www.hamilton.ca/CultureandRecreation/Recreation/Seniors/SeniorRecreationCentreDropInProgram.htm